President Donald Trump is no stranger to conspiracy: He rose to political prominence by touting the racist lie that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. His team isnt either: Take Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s longtime baseless conviction that childhood vaccines cause autism or the billionaire Elon Musks promotion of the 2016 Pizzagate conspiracy theory. The embrace of conspiracy theories isnt new, but now that Trump is back in power, there is a direct pipeline between online conspiracy theories and government policy and in some cases, its happening at breathtaking speed.At times, the administration takes a kernel of truth and then distorts it wildly. At others, its entirely unclear where the theories are coming from. Here are four examples of this government by conspiracy theory:Musk has targeted both Politico and Reuters as news organizations, posting screenshots from a database of government payments and falsely claiming that their newsrooms received millions in federal grants. The Trump administration has cited those payments as examples of government waste and evidence that the federal government is supporting anti-Trump media. In actuality, the federal government as a whole paid millions for employee subscriptions to Politico Pro, which offers specialist reporting, data analysis, and expert briefings covering 22 policy areas for an audience including industry stakeholders and government officials. These arent grants, but instead are purchases of subscriptions.But baseless speculation that Politico received and depended on government grants grew online after the company missed payroll due to an unrelated technical issue. Within days, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, LOOKS LIKE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS HAVE BEEN STOLLEN [sic] AT USAID, AND OTHER AGENCIES, MUCH OF IT GOING TO THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA AS A PAYOFF FOR CREATING GOOD STORIES ABOUT THE DEMOCRATS.Musk has also claimed that Reuters received millions of dollars from the US government to undertake a large-scale social deception campaign, calling the news organization a total scam. What he failed to mention, however, was that the data analytics arm of Reuters, not its news division, received those funds starting under the first Trump administration to investigate defenses to such campaigns. Since then, the Trump administration has ordered many government agencies to cancel their subscriptions to news organizations, including The Economist, the New York Times, Politico, Bloomberg News, the Associated Press, and Reuters. The State Department, for example, recently issued a memo ordering the cancellation of subscriptions to non-mission critical publications that are not academic or professional journals.2) FEMA didnt blow millions on luxury hotels for migrantsEarlier this month, Musk posted on his social platform X that his team at DOGE had discovered that the Federal Emergency Management Agency had sent $59M LAST WEEK to luxury hotels in New York City to house illegal migrants. Its not clear exactly what he was referencing, and he did not provide any evidence of such payments.He could be referring to funds paid out via the Shelter and Services Program, which is approved by Congress and administered by FEMA to support migrants released in the US after being apprehended at the southern border. The New York City mayors office told the Associated Press that, during the time period Musk referenced, it had received $19 million in direct hotel costs as part of that program. While the city is currently sheltering 46,000 migrants, including some in hotels, it has never paid luxury rates and most were put up in hotels outside Manhattan, the Associated Press reported. On average, it has paid $152 per night, while five-star accommodations are typically more than double that price.On February 11, the administration clawed back $80 million in grants to New York City, apparently the first time that Trump has revoked congressionally approved funds from a local government. On Friday, the city filed a lawsuit in an attempt to get the money back.The Trump administration took these funds from the City without any advance notice that it would be doing so and without communicating any decision or rationale to the City, according to the lawsuit.Recently confirmed as health secretary, Kennedy has been one of the leading voices of the anti-vaccine movement. Hes pushed disinformation about vaccines since 2005, when he falsely claimed that some childhood vaccines had dangerous levels of mercury that could cause autism, despite the fact scientists had already proven that mercury levels in those vaccines were not harmful and did not lead to autism. During his confirmation hearings, he reportedly privately promised Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), a doctor and longtime advocate for vaccination, that he would not change existing vaccine recommendations. That helped him secure a pivotal vote from Cassidy, who said he would speak with Kennedy several times a month to collaborate on health policy. However, Kennedy is now taking steps to link vaccines to chronic diseases a potential precursor to an anti-vaccine policy. He announced that he is using a newly created panel to investigate childhood vaccines for measles, polio, and other diseases for connections to other chronic diseases.Nothing is going to be off limits, Kennedy said in his first remarks at the agency.Kennedy has also been critical of a government panel of vaccine experts that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The so-called Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was supposed to meet this month for the first time since Kennedy was confirmed, but the meeting has been postponed, and the committee itself is facing review under one of Trumps recent executive orders.4) Trumps offer of asylum to South Africas white minority is based on conspiracy theoryTrump issued an executive order earlier this month cutting off US aid to South Africa and granting asylum to the countrys white minority, claiming that their government is discriminating against them. The executive order cites a recently enacted land reform bill, which it claims allows the seizure of ethnic minority Afrikaners agricultural property without compensation and is fueling disproportionate violence against racially disfavored landowners.In actuality, the law allows the South African government to seize privately owned land in limited circumstances, such as when property is abandoned, for public use, and typically requires just and equitable compensation.About 70 percent of that land is still owned by white people, who make up about 7 percent of the South African population, decades after the end of the Afrikaner-controlled governments system of apartheid. There is no evidence that white farmers have been victims of disproportionate, racially motivated violence. But Trumps rhetoric about it echoes that of the influential Afrikaner rights group AfriForum, which has been pushing such conspiracy theories for years. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights organization, has referred to AfriForums leaders as white supremacists. Musk, a native South African, has also decried what he describes as a genocide against white farmers. Though Trump has broadly sought to block refugee resettlement and access to asylum in the US, he is making an exception for white South Africans, showing how deeply this conspiracy theory has penetrated his administrations thinking.See More:

Tens of thousands of federal workers have been fired recently, and more may be in danger of being let go.Umair Irfan a climate change, energy policy, and science correspondent for Vox has been specifically focused on layoffs looming over the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of late. His reporting presents a great lens for understanding the firings, and he and I discussed what the NOAA can tell us about the effect federal reductions have on everyday Americans. Our conversation, edited for length and clarity, is below.Umair, whats NOAA and why is it so important?NOAA is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Its tasked with developing weather forecasts for the United States, conducting oceanographic and atmospheric research, and developing long-term climate and weather models. Its also in charge of fisheries and promoting commerce, particularly in the oceans, which means it does a lot of navigation and mapping work for shipping, and for offshore oil and gas drilling.There have been reports that as much as half of NOAA staff might be dismissed. What would everyday Americans lose if that happened? NOAA has a staff of about 12,000 people, most of them scientists and engineers. If you lost half of that, youd lose a lot of people doing the research that informs our weather forecasts and our understanding of weather, as well as a lot of the data that industry players rely on for things like aviation and air travel. Wed also lose a lot of our emergency forecasting capability for extreme weather. NOAA is one of the reasons that air travel is so safe, and one of the reasons that weve seen fewer people dying in natural disasters in the US: It has done the work of putting satellites into space, of having scientific ships on the ocean, and aircraft that fly into hurricanes, and has used its decades of data gathering to develop excellent forecasting capability and one that, through continual work, is improving all the time.If we lose all those capabilities, we lose a lot of progress that has been made. Extreme weather will stay dangerous, however, and our ability to drive the risks involved with weather down over time will eventually diminish if we dont continue to invest in that.NOAA obviously isnt the only agency thats facing cuts here. Do Americans gain anything by shrinking the government the way Trump has been?Current and former agency staffers and leaders I talked to say the cuts arent going to help agencies accomplish their missions, and will actually run counter to any goals of efficiency, because remaining employees will have to try to fulfill the functions of their fired colleagues in suboptimal ways.That said, theres always going to be room to optimize a big institution like the government. But we need to do so thoughtfully, stepping back and seeing what our needs are, and what our expectations are from government in general. Specifically looking at an agency like NOAA, its about looking carefully at exactly how its core functions are being met, where theyre falling short, and where they can be augmented. So far, we really havent seen that level of exploration and interest in how these agencies function from the current administration.Big picture, what do you think Americans should learn from the case of NOAA? I think its easy to forget that the federal government is everywhere in our country 80 percent of federal employees are not in DC.NOAA is one of those agencies that has a very far-flung footprint, because it has to do a lot of the local research and data gathering on site, and because its mission is to protect the whole country. And NOAA, like all agencies, is very closely linked to peoples lives in ways they may not expect. You may not have a NOAA app on your phone, but very likely the weather app you do have, and the forecast that youre getting from your local TV meteorologist, are informed by NOAAs satellites and data gathering. While there may be layers in between the products you consume and the government, it does provide the foundation for things we take for granted. If agencies like NOAA go away, we would definitely lose things we might not expect.RelatedElon Musk is coming for our weather serviceThis piece originally ran in the Today, Explained newsletter. For more stories like this, sign up here.See More:

Kenji Kanno, director of Segas legendary driving game Crazy Taxi, remembers the exact moment he knew the game had made a seismic impression. I was going to Las Vegas for promotional work, he says. I got into the taxi and the driver drove me very fast, arriving at my destination quickly. At the end, he laughed and said: I am the real Crazy Taxi! It was a strange experience.Initially released in arcades, the zany, pop-punk drive-em-up celebrates its 25th anniversary this month. Crazy Taxi was an addictive coin-swallowing thrill ride, the games eccentric cabbies continually yelling Ready to have some fun? and Time to make some crazy money! in the faces of perturbed-looking normies who simply wish to be chauffeured over to Pizza Hut. Driving green-haired Axels yellow 1960 Cadillac Eldorado so fast that its front bumper smashed into sunny San Franciscos concrete hills was a memorable experience for all who played. (The Ford Mustang-driving Gena was my mums character of choice.)I remember losing an entire summer trying to master the crazy dash technique that allowed you to boost faster around corners on the critically acclaimed Sega Dreamcast version of the game (released in 2000 and running at an impressively fluid 60 frames-per-second), instead of going outside to play with my friends. Subsequent ports on the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox 360 drove sales of Crazy Taxi into the millions, creating a hit for Sega at a time where things werent easy, as the formerly dominant Japanese console manufacturer was on the edge of exiting that business.A memorable experience for all who played Crazy Taxi. Photograph: SegaRock band the Offspring provided turbo-charged guitar riffs for Crazy Taxis soundtrack, but thats not the only thing that makes it feel like a time capsule from the turn of the millennium. This game captured the carefree hyperactivity of late 90s/early 00s pre-9/11 America; an era where many young peoples biggest worry was whether beer-swilling Stone Cold Steve Austin might retain the WWE world title.Despite its crossover success, Crazy Taxi had a lot of early detractors, Kanno remembers. At the beginning of development, more than half of the project members were strongly opposed to the idea of a game about taxi drivers, he recalls.The way Hollywood had historically framed cabbies made the concept of Crazy Taxi a tough sell for Segas executives. In the words of Marcello Di Cintio, the author of Driven: The Secret Lives of Taxi Drivers: Cabbies in pop culture have often been characters on the margins. The stereotype, then and now, is that cabbies had a window on the seedy side of urban life, and were part of a nocturnal world the rest of us dont see. Drugs. Alcohol. Sex What I wanted to express the most in Crazy Taxi was the dynamism of movie car chases. Photograph: SegaKanno, though, was much more interested in the less sinister taxi drivers present in Luc Bessons 1998 action-comedy film Taxi, as well as the challenge of turning the guy behind the steering wheel into someone more lovable. Crazy Taxis drivers are decidedly un-sinister, a bunch of grinning, colourfully dressed thrill-seekers who are the furthest thing from mundane. Kanno wanted the game to do for taxi drivers what Paperboy had done for, well, paperboys. I told the team: I think it is the job of games creators to make regular jobs look more cool! Even if this is a vision that no one has ever had before, then we should do it.Growing up, Kanno found taxis somewhat magical, he says. In Japan, taxi doors open automatically. As a child, I wondered why taxi doors opened as you approached them, but my familys car door stayed shut? This was so mind-blowing to me that I came to see taxis as these magical things. When he got older, Kanno was obsessed with old Hollywood movies, and wanted to capture that same giddy tension and glamour presented in the iconic driving sequences in classics such as The Italian Job and The French Connection. A location such as San Francisco was perfect. What I wanted to express the most in Crazy Taxi was the dynamism of movie car chases. I chose San Francisco because it is a city with so many undulations that you can constantly express that kind of action.Unlike most racing games, Crazy Taxi makes you think on your feet rather than learn its tracks. (Echoes of this chaotic approach can be seen in The Simpsons: Road Rage, which basically took the Crazy Taxi concept over to Springfield.) This is a game where players make split-second decisions in constantly changing situations, Kanno says. Thats why I made the other vehicles into obstacles. The design is not about memorising every course and taking the best line, but about the player navigating a constantly changing path.A planned multiplayer mode was cut due to the technical limitations of the time. But the leaderboards still allowed for competitive, wait-your-turn battles between friends. For those who still struggle to last more than two minutes while playing Crazy Taxi (FYI: one rooftop shortcut is a gamechanger), is there any chance of a modern, multiplayer-enabled sequel? I cant say much, replies Kanno. But Crazy Taxi will make you smile again soon!

As any adult who loves video games knows, there are simply too many of them 19,000 games were released in 2024 on PC games storefront Steam alone, not counting all the playable delights on consoles and smartphones. Most of us have backlogs of unplayed classics that make us feel guilty about buying newer games. Finding things that are actually good, meanwhile, can feel totally impossible. At least 50% of the questions people send in for this newsletter are a variant of Help, what should I play?We do our best to help, but even though its my job to know about games, I still dont have infinite time to play them. Streamers play games all day, but even they usually specialise in particular games or genres and rarely stray outside them. Trying to Google recommendations these days leads you down a rabbit hole of hard-to-parse Reddit threads and misleading AI slop.Enter Ludocene, a new app launching on Kickstarter this week that hopes to solve this problem. It is described as Tinder for video games. When you load it up youll see a bunch of cards with game names, details and screenshots on them, as well as links to trailers, and you can sort them into yes/no piles. Based on what you say you like, itll show you new cards for games you may like to play. If you like the look of a game you can add it to your deck, so you remember to check it out later. You can easily see which games connect to each other, so its transparent where the recommendations come from.You can also select a particular expert quite a few streamers, critics and other games media people have signed up already to see their recommendations. Experts have their own cards too, showing a photo and a brief description of their background. The apps recommendation engine is powered only by human recommendations, not by an algorithm that relies on player data, genre tags or AI. Its based on a dataset put together over five years by the team behind Family Gaming Database, a recommendation site for parents.Amazing games are so often buried in the mass, says longtime games writer Andy Robertson, whos leading the project. I wanted a way to follow experts with similar tastes to mine so I could find the games Im missing. The system needed to be flexible and simple, and not take itself too seriously The combination of matching with games like you do on a dating app, and building a hand of favourite games like in a deck builder, was perfect. My hope is that this makes game discovery fun and effective again, and pays experts for their expertise.Ludocene experts. Composite: Courtesy of Andy RobertsonIf it hits its Kickstarter goal, Ludocene will be free to use in its basic form, with no ads therell be a cheap subscription model down the line to unlock extra features, for no more than 3 a month.We dont make any assumptions about how much knowledge you have, Robertson says. If youve only played Mario Kart and Minecraft you can dive in and start picking games. The system learns your tastes as you go and presents you with appropriate options. It really comes into its own when you pick more specific games for your deck. Whether thats Elden Ring, Balatro, A Short Hike or Shadow of the Colossus, the system learns your taste and throws up ever more specific and niche suggestions.Im someone who loves a specific and niche suggestion. The current if you like this, you might like that game recommendation engines that you see on Steam and other storefronts are deeply lacking in the human touch that makes a recommendation meaningful. Ludocene caters to people who want a recommendation from an expert rather than a robot.Another splendid resource for discovering games Ive recently come across is the Thinky Games website a database and reviews site for puzzle lovers. It has a huge selection of games that you can search for by genre and platform, from phones to Nintendo Switch. Each games description is written by an actual human who has played the game rather than scraped from store data.I guess I would say this, as a games critic of nearly 20 years, but I truly believe in the value of person-to-person game recommendations, especially in this era of AI-driven outsourcing of the soul. (I havent signed up as a Ludocene expert, by the way, but I may well do so in future.) If you like the look of it, you can check out its Kickstarter page.What to playKeep Driving. Photograph: YCJY GamesRemember The Oregon Trail, that classic educational game where you had to ride your wagon across 19th century North America while avoiding the ultimate end-of-level boss: dysentery? Well, Keep Driving is that, but set in the early 2000s and with fewer intestinal infections. Youve just bought your first car and now youre driving it across the country to a music festival. As you cruise, procedurally generated pixel landscapes drift by and hitchhikers thumb lifts, then tell you stories. Its effectively a management role-playing game where you repair and feed your gas guzzler while managing your own need for food and sleep. You can finish in four hours, but there are multiple endings to discover on subsequent playthroughs. A fun concept, beautifully realised.Available on: PC Estimated playtime: skip past newsletter promotionSign up to Pushing ButtonsFree weekly newsletterKeza MacDonald's weekly look at the world of gamingPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionWhat to readDiablo IV. Photograph: BlizzardFor years, Maciej Groobo Maselewski stood as the undisputed champion of Diablo speedrunning. Thus begins Ars Technicas intriguing story of possible corruption in the shadowy world of the speed run i.e. finishing games really quickly. A squad of modern-day speedrunning sleuths have been unable to replicate Grobos success even with state-of-the-art software tools. Expect a Netflix expos soon.Grapefuit Games, the independent studio co-founded by artist and game creator Robert Yang, has written A Sports-Like Manifesto, which you can read on its website. It defines a sports-like game as one that features elements of a sport without attempting to simulate the whole universe around it in intricate detail. Frankly, mainstream sports sims are beginning to resemble humourless chimera, more concerned with licensing deals and player likenesses than gameplay, so I hope more developers take Yangs approach.Keith is writing about this soon, but just a heads-up: a new memoir by veteran games writer Julian Jaz Rignall has just launched via Bitmap Books. The Games of A Lifetime is a look back at Rignalls long career writing for magazines such as Zzap! 64, Computer & Video Games and Mean Machines, focusing on the games that stuck with him through the years. A fascinating read for veteran games mag aficionados.What to clickQuestion BlockConkers Bad Fur Day. Photograph: RareThis one comes from JohnnyBiscuits on BlueSky who asked:Nightreign looks like a huge departure in format from Elden Ring and for FromSoft in general too [Im] interested in other examples where developers have got out on a limb like this, particularly with a well loved IP.Ooh, good question, and its got me searching through my memory banks. As a Sega fan the first thoughts I had were of Virtua Fighter Kids, a strange comedy spin-off from Virtua Fighter 2 where all the combatants are children but with adult characteristics like facial hair, and Typing of the Dead, which turns horror shooter House of the Dead 2 into a typing sim. Or theres Namcos 16bit console title Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures, which reimagines the arcade maze game as a point-and-click adventure. I think, however, that the grandest about-turn in games history was Conkers Bad Fur Day from Rare, which took the visual style of harmless family games such as Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong Country, and applied them to a wildly scatological, adult-orientated booze-n-swears fest. Surely the biggest image change since John Travoltas machine gun-wielding assassin in Pulp Fiction.If youve got a question for Question Block or anything else to say about the newsletter hit reply or email us on pushingbuttons@theguardian.com.

There's so much we don't know about the Switch 2, but with rumours it could run some very demanding Xbox Series X games, we're ready to get our hands on it alreadyTech11:04, 24 Feb 2025Updated 11:04, 24 Feb 2025Expect a whole host of news on April 2We're just 37 days away from full Switch 2 reveal, which will involve a special Nintendo Direct on April 2. That's when we'll likely hear about the system's price and when we can play it, but rumours are swirling about the system's launch game lineup.We've heard plenty about the likes of Mario and Zelda potentially getting the console off to a strong start, as well as Marvel and Rockstar Games titles, but the latest rumour feels a little bit on the impossible side.According to longtime leaker NateTheHate (who correctly predicted the console's reveal format and timing) and WindowsCentral, the Switch 2 could be able to run Microsoft Flight Simulator.Flight Sim titles are particularly demanding(Image: XBox.com)If you're not in the Xbox or PC ecosystem, the potential for Microsoft Flight Simulator to launch on a handheld console is impressive because the game is notoriously demanding on PC.It's challenging for even some PC hardware to run, streaming in real-world map data to achieve a realistic look. The idea of that running on a console you can carry in a bag is pretty impressive, and ties into reports last week from developers saying the Switch 2 will have much more performance potentially even using NVIDIA's DLSS tech for AI upscaling.While Xbox has been happy to move to a multiplatform strategy, the idea of the likes of Gears of War and Halo making the jump to Nintendo Switch and longtime rival PlayStation still feels bizarre but some games will go the other way.NateTheHate suggested Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth are being lined up for Xbox, while the former has been rumoured as a Switch 2 launch title.We've also heard that the upcoming DOOM: The Dark Ages could arrive on Switch 2, marking a big positive for Switch 2 buyers that want something a little more mature on the system.As always, take it with a pinch of salt, but we're just 37 agonising days away from finding out a lot more about the new console.Article continues belowFor the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

GTA 6 fans are expecting big things when Rockstar's title launches later in 2025, but according to one source the PC version might not be too far at all a rarity for the studioTech10:22, 24 Feb 2025Could GTA 6 come to PC sooner than we thought?(Image: Still)A few weeks after Take-Two Interactive confirmed in its earnings call that GTA 6 is still slated for this year, and that Borderlands 4 has a release date, fans have been waiting for more news on Grand Theft Auto 6 and maybe even a trailer.Since then, one CEO suggested that the game would come to PC much sooner than we'd perhaps anticipated. Corsair's CEO Andrew Paul suggested that the game could come to Windows as early as the start of 2026, but it now appears that might not be the case after all.Corsair has since clarified those comments, and it appears the company didn't have any insider information at all.Imagine this on a high-end PC(Image: Rockstar)In an earnings call for Corsair (a PC parts and peripherals manufacturer), Paul previously discussed the possibility of GTA 6 launching in early 2026 on PC.Since then, Corsair has reached out to IGN to clarify Paul's statement, confirming that the information was speculative and that the company doesn't have any prior knowledge of Rockstar's plans for PC.Not great news, then, but at least GTA 5 on PC is getting a big update in a couple of weeks after Rockstar announced a free patch to bring it in line with the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions.Recent industry surveys have confirmed that PC gaming is on the rise, and Take-Two's CEO Strauss Zelnick recently discussed the potential for a PC port of what is expected to be the biggest game of all time.So with Civ 7 it's available on console and PC and Switch right away, Zelnick told IGN earlier in February, referring to this month's Civilization 7 launch.With regard to others in our lineup, we don't always go across all platforms simultaneously. Historically, Rockstar has started with some platforms and then historically moved to other platforms.It caught some by surprise when PS5 and Xbox were the only platforms listed for GTA 6 when it was revealed in December 2023, but for anyone following Rockstar's spotty history with PC ports, it wasn't too surprising at all.While GTA 4, GTA 5, and both Red Dead Redemption titles did get PC ports, there was a sizeable gap between them and the console launches.Last month, a former Rockstar developer said "They're [Rockstar] gonna try to optimize as much as they can to where it never goes below 30 [frames per second]."Article continues below"But it can be bumped up to 40, 41, 52, whatever, and I bet you, like, later, once it's on PC, it'll probably get super optimized and changed and new graphics cards that come out and you'll be able to run it at 60fps probably at that time."For more on GTA 6, check out this title from the lead developer on prior GTA titles to help you pass the time while you wait, as well as rumours of a celebrity appearance.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

The PS5 Pro is falling behind (Sony)Sales for Sonys upgraded PS5 appear to have stumbled after only a few months, as console sales in the US drop across the board.Sonys PS5 Pro console had a seemingly strong launch in November last year, despite its eye-watering 700 price tag.According to Sony, the mid-generation upgrade was performing slightly stronger in terms of pre-orders than the PS4 Pro. Sony hasnt released separate sales figures for the PS4 Pro, but the companys new CEO, Hideaki Nishino, recently said it accounted for 20% of overall PlayStation 4 sales, which was last recorded as over 117.2 million, as of March 2022.It seems the PS5 Pro might not have the same luck, as new data states it has already dropped behind the sales pace of the PS4 Pro after only three months.According to data from market research firm Circana, as shared by analyst Mat Piscatella on Bluesky, the PS5 Pro has fallen behind the PS4 Pros pace in the US.In November last year, Piscatella claimed the PS5 Pro had a solid start with units in the same ballpark as the PS4 Pros launch. While there are no exact sales figures, its worth noting that the PS5 Pro is considerably more expensive than the PS4 Pro, at 700 to 349.Sales slumped across all console formats in the month of January, which is not traditionally a busy time for the industry. Why are video game console sales falling?According to the data, video game hardware spending dropped 45% when compared to the same period last year, to $205 million (162 million). This is said to be the lowest January total for video game hardware spending in the US since 2020 (the last year before the current generation started).While a drop in sales for the Nintendo Switch is no surprise, given its age, the poor performance of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S explains why Sony and Microsoft are already talking about next gen replacements.PS5 Pro has fallen behind PS4 Pro's pace.Digital SKUs accounted for 49% of PS5 HW units in Jan and 88% of XBS units. Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) 2025-02-21T14:29:50.556ZPlayStation 5 hardware spending dropped by 38% year-on-year, Xbox Series X/S dropped by 50%, while the Switch fell by 53% no doubt due to the announcement of the Switch 2 midway through the month.More TrendingIts hard to gauge Sonys sales expectations for the PS5 Pro, considering the PS4 Pro was similarly positioned as a niche product, but its hard to imagine it is too perturbed by the situation.Earlier this month, the company announced the PlayStation 5 total lifetime sales (including the PS5 Pro) had reached 75 million, just shy of the PlayStation 4s sales of 76.6 million within the same period.While Sonys first party line-up for 2025 is weak so far, with only Ghost of Ytei confirmed for this year, the company is probably banking on GTA 6 to give PlayStation 5 sales a boost, which is on track to launch this autumn. The industry is desperate for GTA 6 (Rockstar)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

The worlds most expensive crisp (Goldin)A crisp that happens to look like the pokmon Charizard is about to change hands in a hotly contested bidding war amongst fans.Pokmon fans must be some of the richest people in gaming, given how willing they seem to be to spend huge amounts of money on related merch. After all, these are the same people that will spend hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds on trading cards.And yet the current bidding war is not over a particularly rare card or piece of merchandise, but a Cheeto. Not a bag of Cheetos, but a single Cheeto.Why? Its because it vaguely looks like the dragon-like pokmon Charizard, which is apparently all it takes for someone to drop over $6,000 on it.The Cheetozard as its been dubbed is being sold through auction website Goldin. It was initially discovered by 1st & Goal Collectibles, which normally deals with sports memorabilia, sometime between 2018 and 2022.Clearly sensing it had a money maker on its hands, 1st & Goal Collectibles preserved the Cheetozard and even gave it a custom-made card framing before selling it for an undisclosed sum to card marketplace Arena Club in 2024.That November, Arena Club announced on Instagram that one lucky individual would be able to acquire the Cheetozard for themselves by buying a mystery card pack. Whether that person then sold it onto Goldin or someone at Goldin happened to buy the pack is unclear, but now the auction site is looking to sell it on, no doubt to try and turn a tidy profit.Bidding began on February 11 and the starting price was only $250 (about 198) but, at the time of writing, it has since rocketed up to $6,250 (4,940).Looking at the bidding history, the bids started out fairly small, with each one only bumping the price by $25 or $50. On February 20, though, it shot up from $425 to $700 and subsequent bids were $100 or higher.More TrendingFor as bizarre as it is for someone to spend thousands of dollars on a crisp, this sort of thing isnt that uncommon. Whenever any food manages to randomly resemble a famous figure or icon, someone with envious levels of disposable income will drop money on it.In 2021, in the wake of Among Us explosive popularity, a chicken nugget shaped like one of the games characters sold on eBay for over 70,000.The Cheetozard isnt even the first Cheeto to be auctioned. In 2017, someone paid more than 80,000 on one because it apparently looked like the memetic gorilla Harambe.As it stands, theres no telling if the Cheetozard will manage to raise similar figures, but we imagine thats what Goldin is hoping for. It doesnt have much time left, though, as the auction is scheduled to end this Sunday on March 2. Charizard is basically just a dragon (Nintendo)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

How Architecture Drives Scientific Discovery: Lab and Research Facility Design Across ScalesSave this picture!Sainsbury Laboratory / Stanton Williams. Image Hufton+CrowThe synergetic relationship between architectural design and scientific discovery tends to be rarely addressed, yet a lucrative proposition. The built environment holds immense potential in supporting research breakthroughs and innovation and the scientific community. The influence extends beyond physical spaces to include both internal dynamics and external engagement through strategic design interventions that connect various caches of impact, from individual researchers to the broader community. Deepa Balgi, Science + Technology Principal at interdisciplinary design firm HGA, champions the importance of connectivity across levelswithin neighborhoods, across the building, and throughout the campus. UCSF's Barbara and Gerson Bakar Research and Academic Building (BRAB), a project by HGA, Snhetta, and Hensel Phelps, is a strong embodiment of this philosophy. The 323,000-square-foot facility houses 147,100 square feet of reconfigurable research labs adaptable to evolving scientific needs, along with centralized and decentralized support spaces, a 23,200-square-foot area for the UCSF School of Nursing, and an 8,000-square-foot clinical research suite. Save this picture!Modern research facilities have developed design approaches to create environments that drive scientific discovery and innovation. One particular tactic involves the creation of research "neighborhoods" in interior spaces, as seen in BRAB. Here, "neighborhoods" organize researchers in their workplace around specific discovery themes such as diabetes, cancer, and microbiome medicine. Related Article The Workspaces of the Future Should Prioritize Peoples Well-being Research Neighborhoods for Interdisciplinary CollaborationsThe neighborhood concept sparks interdisciplinary collaboration by allowing scientists working on related challenges to easily interact and share insights. Neighborhoods surpass the limitations of conventional lab layouts that would often isolate researchers in separate rooms or departments. The variety in their work allows for spontaneous collaboration that may result in breakthroughs relating to similar research outcomes. This design choice echoes the need for spaces that support team-based science rather than siloed individual efforts, a broader trend in research facility planning. As Balgi notes, "Creating neighborhoods that support team-based science with labs organized by discovery teams in turn accelerates research collaboration and scientific breakthroughs." These environments incorporate infrastructure while promoting impromptu interactions such as dedicated huddle areas, write-up spaces both inside and outside labs, and informal gathering spots like coffee stations.Save this picture!Save this picture!At the micro level, each neighborhood combines labs, write-up areas, offices, huddle spaces, and coffee spots to create an inviting work environment favorable to formal and informal interactions. The macro level may feature common areas such as town centers, conference rooms, and shared amenities within the facility, where larger interactions and group meetings can occur.Campus-level integration ensures that buildings function as part of a larger ecosystem. BRAB exemplifies this through its SkyBridge connection to adjacent research and clinical facilities. This connection allows researchers, some of whom are also clinicians, to transition between patient care and laboratory research, supporting their cross-functional practices.Save this picture!Additionally, the health and wellness of researchers is a valuable consideration in the design of productive work environments. Research consistently shows that the quality of the workplace directly influences the quality of work produced. Elements such as natural light, noise control, and air quality are integral to supporting the physical and mental well-being of researchers. By prioritizing researcher wellness, institutions can not only enhance productivity but also attract and retain top talent in an increasingly competitive field.Connecting the Campus and the CommunityTrue innovation flourishes when institutions maintain permeable boundaries with their surroundings.BRAB demonstrates how thoughtful architectural planning can birth an ecosystem that aids groundbreaking discoveries while engaging with the community. The building's role extends beyond its research functions, serving as a bridge between UCSF and the San Francisco community. Located on the historic site of UC Hall, the first University of California hospital built in 1917, BRAB prioritizes public engagement through the revitalized Parnassus Streetscape and a new east-west public promenade. This pedestrian-friendly space features native plants, welcoming seating areas, and scenic overlooks with views of the city, Golden Gate Park, and the Pacific Ocean.Save this picture!Save this picture!The facility's design actively addresses campus connectivity challenges. As Balgi explains, "Previously, the existing building created a barrier, preventing easy access through the campus. Now, with the new design, we're providing a pathway for people to go through the building and connect to Mount Sutro." The addition of public-facing retail spaces and outdoor seating areas creates opportunities for interaction between researchers and local residents, effectively dissolving traditional boundaries between academic institutions and their communities.The integration of industry into research spaces is another strategy for driving innovation. By co-locating industry partners within academic or research institutions, both sides can benefit from increased collaboration, accelerating the transfer of research into practical applications. A notable example of this approach is the State University at Albany's ETEC building, which builds partnerships between students, faculty, and private companies working on technologies in fields like climate science and biotechnology. On Penn Engineering Today, Ian Scheffler highlights the importance of understanding how researchers interact with their environment beyond the physical elements like workbenches, equipment, and utilities. The relationship between the lab layout and researcher productivity is interesting how well the space supports collaboration, workflow, and even mental well-being can make a noticeable difference in scientific output.Save this picture!Effective lab planning plays a pivotal role in supporting scientific discovery, especially when designing spaces that accommodate work at multiple scalesfrom individual workstations to entire research campuses. A well-planned laboratory seamlessly integrates form and function to maximize efficiency while maintaining a safe and comfortable environment for researchers. The goal is to craft spaces where science can thrive, whether in a tight, modular layout or a more expansive, collaborative zone.As scientific discovery methodologies evolve, the design of research spaces plays a supportive role in aiding collaboration and optimizing performance. As research increasingly involves multidisciplinary teams working across various sectors, designing spaces that encourage interaction is critical. Assessing research facility design at multiple scales enhances the impact of scientific innovation on the community while enabling the public to actively participate in and benefit from the research process. Through close collaboration with research clients, architectural teams have the potential to design spaces that go beyond functionality, delivering environments where ideas can flourish, connections can form, and scientific advancements can thrive. Design provides the frameworks for these relationships to thrive, where rapid research and prototyping support innovation in our societies. Image gallerySee allShow lessAbout this authorAnkitha GattupalliAuthorCite: Ankitha Gattupalli. "How Architecture Drives Scientific Discovery: Lab and Research Facility Design Across Scales " 24 Feb 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1027259/how-architecture-drives-scientific-discovery-lab-and-research-facility-design-across-scales&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Captial International Exhibition and Convention Center / Zaha Hadid ArchitectsSave this picture! Virgile Simon BertrandChinaArchitects: Zaha Hadid ArchitectsYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2025 PhotographsPhotographs:Virgile Simon Bertrand More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. CIECC expands Beijing's existing exhibition venue to over 611,000 sqm. Providing nine new exhibition halls, three reception halls, a conference center for 9,000 delegates and a hotel with 410 rooms. CIECC's modular fabrication and construction minimized the center's development time, investment and operational costs.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!A leading center of commerce, culture and government, Beijing has seen significant growth in the city's service and digital technology industries. This continued expansion of Beijing's corporate sectors has increased demand for the city to host conventions, international conferences and industry expos attended by delegates from throughout China and around the world.Save this picture!Meeting this growth, the new Capital International Exhibition & Convention Center (CIECC) by Zaha Hadid Architects is Beijing's largest and most advanced exhibition and convention venue; expanding the city's existing facility to over 611,000 sq. m with nine new exhibition halls as well as three new reception halls, a conference center for 9,000 delegates and a hotel with 410 rooms.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Located on Line 15 of the Beijing Subway network within the city's Shunyi District adjacent to Capital International Airport, the CIECC's central north-south axis serves as the primary connector between the nine exhibition halls; providing navigational clarity, maximum flexibility and efficiency, as well as creating a central courtyard and gathering place within sheltered outdoor event spaces and landscaped gardens.Save this picture!Conceived as 'ribbons' that weave together all the new facilities, bridges above this central courtyard also connect the exhibition halls, conference center and hotel, to provide indoor circulation between event spaces. The conference center and hotel are located to the north of the site, defining a new public square for exhibitions and events. The movement of people, goods, and vehicles throughout the CIECC is divided into three distinct routes to aid circulation, provide optimal adaptability and avoid disruption to different concurring events.Save this picture!The CIECC's composite roof system of symmetric geometries creates an insulated, lightweight, large-span structure providing column-free spaces that can be quickly adapted to changes in exhibitions and nature of use. This modular fabrication and construction minimized the center's development time, investment, and operational costs. The center's fluid architectural language and pleated, deep copper-colored faade incorporating large, recessed windows, have been designed to balance the CIECC's immense industrial scale and materiality.Save this picture!Achieving the highest certification of China's Green Building Program, the center uses smart building management systems with hybrid ventilation, ensuring optimum natural ventilation supported by high-efficiency HVAC equipment to enhance indoor air quality and minimize energy consumption. Rainwater collection throughout CIECC's extensive footprint, grey water recycling, and photovoltaics for on-site energy generation will reduce water and energy demand from the city's municipal supply.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Beijing, ChinaLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeMaterialGlassMaterials and TagsPublished on February 24, 2025Cite: "Captial International Exhibition and Convention Center / Zaha Hadid Architects" 24 Feb 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1027243/captial-international-exhibition-and-convention-center-zaha-hadid-architects&gt ISSN 0719-8884